Healing Architecture: creating an overall healing environment for children at Baragwanath Hospital

Abstract

Children often find hospitalisation an intimidating experience because hospitals are not always the most child-friendly place. This research report is about understanding the way in which an environment can be created that will aid recovery of children in hospitals, in order to inform the redesign process of the pediatric facility at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (CHBH). Literature on the history of hospital design, architectural and evidence based design surrounding health-care architecture, and the psychological aspects that contribute towards a healing environment, shows that important design drivers are positive distraction, personal control and social support. These devices are used in precedent studies that successfully deinstitutionalised the hospital in the eyes of a child, in order to produce comfort and less anxiety. An indepth study is conducted of CHBH, with specific emphasis on the pediatric department, compiled from literature and site research. The history and challenges of the largest hospital in Africa are explored in order to arrive at an appropriate design response, which is taken through as a design proposal for a new pediatric facility at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.